Putin opened a new stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg

Saint Petersburg - The most famous native of Saint Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin, participated today in the ceremonial opening of the magnificent new stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in the city above the Neva river. "This is not just a theatre, but a cultural center of world-class," stated Putin after touring the booth of the muses, whose construction took eight years and cost more than double the original expenses - 21.6 billion rubles (about 13.5 billion crowns).
    The new building, connected by a bridge over the water canal to the old building, has caused controversy not only due to its cost: lovers of old Saint Petersburg reportedly refer to it only as a "box," "warehouse," or "shopping center."

source: Diamond Schmitt Architects

    "We are opening a second stage, but essentially it is a new theatre," declared Putin. According to him, this is all thanks to the "unflagging energy" of the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev. The phenomenal conductor, whom Putin honored on Wednesday with the newly awarded title of "Hero of Labor," celebrates his sixtieth birthday today.
    Before the gala concert featuring international stars - including Plácido Domingo and Anna Netrebko - Gergiev guided Putin through the new building, whose acoustics, according to him, rival those of the world's leading opera stages. And the auditorium for two thousand spectators even surpasses the Russian parliament - where the boxing giant Nikolai Valuev required a specially made chair as a new member, whereas in the "Mariinka," one can sit without difficulty. Putin himself also tried out the chair.
    The head of the theatre's board, former finance minister Alexei Kudrin, revealed today that federal funding this year has risen to 25 million dollars, which translates to nearly half a billion crowns.
    However, after the completion of the new stage in Saint Petersburg and the previous major renovation of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, Putin stated that greater attention should now be paid to provincial theatres.
    During his visit to Saint Petersburg, the president also visited a newly renovated home for elderly actors, who, according to the media, thanked the head of state with tears in their eyes for the residence.
    Putin has been at the helm of power for 13 years, but in December 2011, his authority was shaken by an unprecedented wave of protests, during which tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets to express dissatisfaction with the regime. A few months later, after being re-elected to lead the state with nearly two-thirds of the votes, Putin compared his opponents to a herd of monkeys from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.
    "I also like Kipling, and I wish you to be compared, and overall, good luck, health, and success," wished Igor Navološnikov, a deserved artist representing the residents of the home, who also sang several couplets in honor of the guest. However, Putin replied that the electoral campaign is a thing of the past, and he hopes that Kipling will be remembered only fondly. And he reassured the artistic veterans, who feared an increase in rent at the renovated home, that the home is being taken under the care of the presidential office.